Wudu (Ritual Ablution)
The ritual cleansing with water, required before prayer.
Wudu (Arabic: وضوء) is the ritual ablution with water that is obligatory before one can perform salah (prayer). Wudu is a prerequisite for the prayer's validity and symbolizes both physical and spiritual purification.
Wudu is performed in a specific order: one washes the hands three times, rinses the mouth three times, cleanses the nose three times, washes the face three times, washes the arms to the elbows three times, wipes over the head with wet hands, and washes the feet to the ankles three times.
Wudu is invalidated by certain actions, including using the toilet, sleep, unconsciousness, and bleeding (according to some schools of law). When wudu is broken, one must perform a new wudu before the next prayer.
The Quran says: "O you who believe! When you prepare for prayer, wash your faces and your hands and arms to the elbows, wipe over your heads, and wash your feet to the ankles" (Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:6).
Related terms
Najasah (Ritual Impurity)
Impure substances that must be removed before prayer according to Islamic law.
Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence)
The Islamic legal science that derives practical rules from the Quran and Sunnah.
Isnad (Chain of Narration)
The chain of narrators connecting a hadith back to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Waqt (Prayer Time)
The specific time interval within which a prayer must be performed.
Qabd (Folding the Arms in Prayer)
The practice of folding the arms over the chest or below the navel during the standing position in prayer.
Fard (Obligatory)
The obligatory acts in Islam, including the five daily prayers.